TUESDAY, Oct. 27, 2026

312-Roman Emperor Constantine the Great is said to have received his famous Vision of the Cross

1795-Pinckney's Treaty [Treaty of San Lorenzo] is signed by Spain and the US, establishing the southern boundary of the US and giving Americans the right to navigate the Mississippi River

1962-Black Saturday during the Cuban Missile Crisis: An American spy plane is shot down over Cuba and the navy drops warning depth charges on Soviet submarines

1982-China announces its population has exceeded one billion people

1986-British government deregulates financial markets in a "Big Bang," enhancing London's status as a financial capital and increasing income inequality

1998-Helmut Kohl resigns as Chancellor of Germany after 16 years, following a landslide defeat in elections

2005-Riots begin in Paris after the deaths of two Muslim teenagers